PCCN Brampton Bram-O-Gram. PCCN Brampton News. October 2012 Volume 12 Issue 10

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1 PCCN Brampton News October 2012 Volume 12 Issue 10 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E 1 PCCN-Brampton News 2 Next General Meeting 3 Last General Meeting 4 Upcoming Meetings 5 Zytiga Approved 6 Awareness Activities 8 Cruisin for a Cure Recently Diagnosed? VIEW THE EVENTS IN THE PLANS FOR 2012 SECTION AND CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING IF YOU CAN PCCN Brampton info@pccnbrampton.com Phone No: Fax No: September was our usual whirlwind month with our 6 th annual Cruisin for a Cure event. With hundreds in attendance to see close to 400 vehicles and over 300 men tested at our PSA blood clinic the event was a solid success. A large portion of our PSA lab costs will be covered by an unrestricted educational grant from Janssen, Inc. to help make the event a modest financial success as well. Once the expenses are finalized much of the net funds will go to Wellspring Chinguacousy to help their ongoing cancer support efforts. Cruisin seems to be getting contagious as Buffalo has gotten into the act as well. They held their 2 nd annual event following in our, well Jim s, footsteps and are committed to maintaining it as an ongoing event. We did adopt the Buffalo Bills for a couple of games a year so what do you expect. Jim has a review of these events further down in the newsletter. Since September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month there were numerous other events going on around the province noted below as well. October should be a little quieter with Dr. Chatterjee dropping by to visit. As one of the newer Urologists in the Brampton area we look forward to his perspectives on PCa treatment. Paul Henshall has already started working out for Movember, stocking up on steroidal moustache cream and such to lead us into another campaign in November. Consider joining our team again this year. We will forward you the details as soon as they become available. Gary Foote / Jim Dorsey Newsletter Editors Tel: , Fax: gary.foote@pccnbrampton.com

2 Next General Meeting, Tuesday, October 9, :00pm Dr. Suman Chatterjee "Preventing and Treating Prostate Cancer" Dr. Chatterjee currently works as a Urologist at both Brampton Civic Hospital and Orangeville's Headwaters Hospital. He has specific interest in surgical oncology and laparoscopic procedures. He is an acting clinical associate at McMaster University and is also involved in resident training. Dr. Chatterjee received his Medical Degree at the University of Toronto and completed his residency at McMaster. Following this he worked as an instructor and senior Fellow in surgical oncology and robotics at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle before moving back to Ontario in Dr. Chatterjee will cover three topics: Treatment of enlarged prostate using drugs like Avodart & Proscar, complications arising from the use of anti-androgens in treating Prostate Cancer and Active Surveillance as a treatment option. We look forward to seeing you in Room #2, upstairs, The Terry Miller Recreation Center, 1295 Williams Parkway, at the southwest corner of Williams Parkway & Bramalea Road. Parking as always is free. Please forward your questions or suggestions to: info@pccnbrampton.com 2

3 Last General Meeting, Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Robin Stainton Alzheimer Society Peel Heads Up For Healthier Brains Robin came out to our September meeting to enlighten us on the topic of Alzheimer s and maintaining a healthy brain. She noted that Dementia is not a disease but rather a symptom and to a large extent is part of normal aging. Alzheimer s on the other hand combines memory loss, the loss of judgement and reasoning, communications skills and the ability to function. It is often associated with a change in mood as well, as individuals react to these negative changes. Alzheimer s can be categorized as Vascular Dementia, Levy Body, Frontal- Temporal or a mixture of the above types. In either case it is always associated with the permanent los of brain cells which are destroyed as part of the condition. We all experience simple memory loss like misplacing our keys or forgetting a person s name but the difference is that an Alzheimer s patient will not remember these things at a later time. Short term memory becomes very poor and they have difficulty performing even simple tasks. They can even become lost on their own street. Their judgement becomes impaired so they may not realize when they need to see a doctor. Abstracts like numbers in a cheque books may lose their meaning. They may place items in bizarre places like keys in the oven. Personalities can change so that a person acts out of character and is often suspicious or anxious. They also lose initiative and need regular prompting to get started. While any one of these symptoms might be explained away the presence of multiple symptoms may be cause for concern. Like many disorders early diagnosis can be critical to controlling the progress of the condition. There are risk factors that you cannot control like age, gender ( more women are affected than men ) and genetics ( only 5% of Alzheimer s cases have a genetic link while 95% appear at random ). There are other things that you can do to help lower your risks however. These would include a number of the following: 3 1) Challenging your brain to try something new 2) Doing things differently like brushing your teeth with the opposite hand 3) Being socially active and volunteering 4) Choosing a healthy lifestyle avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol

4 5) Maintaining a healthy diet with green, red, blue and purple vegetables, omega 3 oils like fish oils and keeping yourself well hydrated 6) Improving your cardio vascular health with regular moderate exercise 7) Managing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels 8) Reducing stress by walking, yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques The Alzheimer Society of Peel offers a number of programs to aid Alzheimer patients and their caregivers. Adult day programs can give caregivers a break and provide helpful mental stimulation. A variety of counseling and support options are available. For more information please visit their web-site: Upcoming PCCN Brampton Meetings / Events: Tuesday, October 9 th, 2012 Dr. Chattergee Preventing and Treating Prostate Cancer Tuesday, November 13 th Daniel Santa Mina New Findings on Exercise and Cancer Speaker suggestions from members are always welcomed; please watch our website for complete meeting agendas and updated speaker profiles! Al Hutton, Speaker Committee: (905) or alhutton@sympatico.ca Please Note: We try as best we can to plan great speakers and topics; however, from time to time we may have to reschedule a speaker due to unforeseen circumstances. We will always try to provide as much advance notice as possible when a reschedule occurs. 4

5 Zytiga Costs to be Covered in Ontario Of interest to all men with Prostate Cancer and their supporters is the following article from the London Free Press of September 19, 2012: LONDON, Ont. - Ontario's health ministry has agreed to cover the cost of a drug used to slow the spread of prostate cancer, less than a month after QMI Agency exposed how men without means were being denied. The drug Zytiga doesn't cure the cancer, but it extends life by months and does so without adverse symptoms associated with other treatment, all through the daily intake of a simple pill. Coverage will begin Sept. 28. "Finally, we have access to this therapy," said London, Ont., oncologist Dr. Kylea Potvin, who Wednesday alone saw three men would could benefit. The news was met with joy by Heather Reddick, who has been advocating for her friend Percy Bedard. "A great victory for all men in Ontario, she said. On Sept. 11, the health ministry placed Zytiga on the list of drugs covered under the Exceptional Access Program, which requires doctors to apply on behalf of patients. Doctors have been told the drug will be made available beginning Sept. 28, and Potvin expects applications that meet the guidelines will be approved within days. Zytiga is a last resort for men whose prostate cancer has spread and who wouldn't benefit from aggressive chemotherapy or chemical castration. It targets an enzyme needed to make a hormone that feeds the cancer. Studies have shown it to slow the cancer's progression, extending life by months, or even years. It was quickly approved in the U.S. and by Health Canada, but Ontario initially rejected the application because of the cost, a decision that outraged patients and oncologists, alike. The maker of the drug, Janssen, provided it free for one year for all Ontario men, but that ended in February. Since then, oncologists have pleaded with the ministry to cover the costs. jonathan.sher@sunmedia.ca 5

6 Those of you who attended Cruisin for a Cure on September 9 know that Percy Bedard, Heather Redick and their crew of volunteers obtained over 900 signatures from our attendees on their petition requesting that the Ministry look at its policies on PSA testing AND reimbursement for Zytiga. Since then, I have spoken to two men with stage 4 PCa who were fortunate enough to be included in the test group during the recent clinical trial of Zytiga. Both they and their wives raved about the vast improvements that the drug has brought to the quality of their lives. A daily tablet replaced time-consuming, painful, debilitating chemotherapy. Side effects seem to be non-existent. And both of these men have been able to resume nearly normal activities; one of them spent 30 days touring Newfoundland. Interestingly, many different politicians have been taking credit for this development. No matter who made it happen, this beneficial drug will now be available to those men with advanced PCa who so desperately need it. Also of interest: searching the sites for the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail indicates that neither major newspaper paid any attention to this important issue. Jim Dorsey, Steering Committee, , jfdorsey@yahoo.com Recent Awareness Activities September 17 to 23 was Prostate Cancer Awareness Week in Canada. On September 20 th, PCC sponsored Truck n Tailgate, closing part of Lombard Street in Toronto so that leading food trucks could attract loyal customers to eat and be educated. I took our customized PT Cruiser down as part of the show. The Head Office staff were out in force, handing out literature, selling awareness items to passersby and answering questions. It was a very successful event, with most of the trucks being sold out by 2:30. Next year Prostate Cancer Awareness Week should be even bigger and better. On September 27, I attended the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network s Advanced Prostate Cancer Legislative Breakfast at Queen s Park. CCSN is a new group based in Ottawa. The breakfast was sponsored by our friends at Janssen and by Sanofi Canada. As described by CCSN s President and 6

7 CEO Jackie Manthorne, The breakfast reception will be an opportunity to raise awareness of metastatic or late-stage prostate cancer and to discuss the challenges that late-stage prostate cancer patients and their families face, and the care options available. As recent advances offer these patients and their caregivers the value of time, promise and hope, the province must take action to better support the metastatic prostate cancer patient population. Representatives of various support groups and the Government of Ontario were moved by the presentations by our own Dr. Sandi Sehdev and men who have benefited from Zytiga. Finally, on September 30, Paul Henshall and I drove to a private airstrip near Peterborough for a photo shoot arranged by Danni Stockley of the Chrome Divas ladies motorcycle club. The Chrome Divas brought their amazingly informative 2012 Prostate Cancer calendar to Cruisin for a Cure on September 9. The 2013 calendar should be even better with photos of Paul and me added! Jim Dorsey, Steering Committee, , jfdorsey@yahoo.com 7

8 6 th Annual Cruisin for a Cure Canada, Sunday, September 9 th, 2012 This year s show went very well. When registration closed, we had 374 impressive vehicles registered; more arrived later in the day. Most importantly, we provided a record 308 free PSA blood tests to men 40 and over. The summary of results has just been received from Canadian Medical Labs: < < Over Mike Loughnan, Margaret Butterly and Tilly Netherton worked non-stop from 9 am to 4 pm to make the Blood Clinic a success yet again. Ann Ramdat and her technicians from CML backed them up admirably. Volunteers from the Pink Slips Women's Car Club Inc., led by President Jody Brock, handled sales of our raffle / 50:50 tickets. Many impressive items were awarded to lucky winners and the winner of the 50:50 walked away with $860! As always, our volunteers, both members and non-members, made the day a great success. Our first attempt at providing live music went very well, thanks to Bill Stellings of BramCity Transmission, Randy Lynch of Modern Music, his brilliant sound engineer David Av Smith and the four young performers that Randy brought Abi Bowman, Leah Borneman, Alessandra DeAcetis and the youth band, Nationz. At the end of the day, Jeff Catto, an up and coming Country Music artist from Owen Sound, and his band thrilled existing fans and made some new ones! Lisette Stauch from Oscar s Place and her team once again served great food and beverages throughout the day. As mentioned elsewhere, Percy Bedard, his caregiver, Heather Redick, and their volunteers obtained over 900 signatures for their petition protesting the Ministry of Health s treatment of Prostate Cancer. Some 700 attendees became Prostate Cancer Advocates by signing postcards addressed to the Health Minister asking that she take steps to see that Zytiga be immediately funded. As you know, this has now happened! 8

9 The Steering Committee thanks all of our sponsors, donors and volunteers who helped make the day such a success. Without their loyal support, Cruisin for a Cure Canada could not happen. A quiet moment at the Blood Clinic registration table. The lineup was out the door most of the day! Jim Dorsey, Cruisin Coordinator, , jfdorsey@yahoo.com 9

10 Recently Diagnosed? Contact PCCN-Brampton If you would like to speak with someone who has been there, please contact us and we will arrange to meet with you at a convenient time and place. Alternatively, come early to one of our Monthly General Meetings and inform the front desk that you re a new member on arrival. One of our counsellors will welcome you and listen to your concerns. Our Monthly General Meetings are held on the 2nd TUESDAY of each month except July & August at the Terry Miller Recreation Centre. Steering Committee Meetings are held two weeks plus a day later on a WEDNESDAY of every month except July & August in the Community Room at the Fortino s at Main & Bovaird, 60 Quarry Edge Drive, Brampton, ON L6V 4K2. Note that Sean Butterly has offered to be available during our Steering Committee Meetings to meet you one on one at Fortinos if you prefer. Family members, friends and supporters are always welcome at any of our Monthly General Meetings or Steering Committee Meetings! Our New Hot Line Number: (289) Note that we accept phone calls throughout the year. If no one is available to take your call, PLEASE leave a voice mail and we will return your call as soon as possible. Regular Snail Mail Costs Money Please Consider Regular Mail Costs Us close to a dollar per person per month. Anyone who would prefer to receive this newsletter via should contact: Gary Foote, , gary.foote@pccnbrampton.com If you already receive your newsletter via regular mail or , be sure to notify us of any address changes so we can continue to get it out to you. 10